And the EU seems to be far less owned by the banks than the former US government.  There are signs here that the tiniest beginnings of attempts to corral and reform the banking system are already underway.  Executive pay is merely a hot-button issue for the public, but oversight on derivatives and capital holdings, for example, are already underway.

Add to this that the European population, as well as the financial culture, has an entirely different view of personal debt as in amurka, and one sees that conditions here are different. Thus the beginnings of an attempt to reign in the financial industry.

For example, while many Europeans, particularly in Germany, have credit cards, the monthly balance is often taken directly from your bank account.  The bank account itself may indeed have credit attached, but the standards are higher.

(Of course, one can get credit cards which allow accruing balances as well, but they're far harder for normal people than in the US. And credit cards are in far less use for daily activity, many stores and restaurants not even accepting  them. Debit cards are far more widespread.)

Thus there is pressure for reform of amurka coming from without.  (I'm ignoring the UK here.)  And we haven't even begun to discuss the effect of BRIC action.

Though i doubt anything could stop the amurkan Untergang.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin